Edmonton poet Ahmed Ali reaches end of term as poet laureate
Rick Bremness | CBC News | Posted: June 8, 2019 2:30 PM | Last Updated: June 8, 2019
‘It has been tremendously nourishing'
The end is near for Ahmed Ali, a.k.a. Knowmadic.
"It has been tremendously nourishing," Ali said reflecting on his two-year term as Edmonton's poet laureate.
"It's been a great experience. I've always been doing poetry, but to be valued and to be really supported because of a title that I've had was fantastic," said the 34-year-old Somali-born artist.
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Ali is the city's seventh poet laureate over the last 14 years.
Poet laureates act as literary ambassadors for the city and advocate for the literary arts while participating in events in Edmonton and beyond.
The position comes with an annual $10,000 honorarium.
Ali's replacement will be announced in a ceremony at city hall on June 26.
Ali is now hoping to finish his book, help get a local spoken word festival off the ground and continue to encourage all forms of poetry.
"Poetry is extremely subjective it can be whatever you want it to be," he said. "No one can define poetry for you, that is something you do for yourself.
"I do what I love so there's no anger, no resentment. I do it with full conviction because I'm happy."
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